Fall Playlist, Creamy Vegetable Soup & Pumpkin Spice Bread

What about if Fall was a colour? To me it’s mustard yellow. The colour of oak leaves as they are turning into that burnt orange and later the crispy brown. The ones I kicked up when I was a kid collecting leaves in Assiniboine Park.

If Fall could feel like something, it would be my hair whipping me in the face as I hurried with my head down to get to work after school. It would be the leaves being hurled into my legs and the windy tears that run down my face as I run to catch my bus.

If Fall was a taste, it would be gravy. Gravy on the poutine from the John Taylor cafeteria, gravy from the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding at Sunday dinner and gravy from my Mom’s beef stew and dumplings on a chilly day. The ultimate comfort dish.

If Fall was a sound it would be dead branches cracking and rustling as I ride my bike through the trails and along the paths, meeting up with my friends as we take in the last of our time outside before the deep freeze settles over us.

If Fall was personified, it would be quiet and full of yearning. It would be doubting and regretful and signifying an ending. It would be full of reminiscence and sadness. It would be moody and maybe a little angry. It would be tired and cold and alone. It would be dark. It would be pensive and it would be reflective.

Or at least that’s how I see it anyways 😂.

I know it doesn’t sound like it but I LOVE Fall. After a loooong Canadian Winter, then a Spring full of new beginnings, sunshine and hope and then a hot Summer of fun, and late nights and constant socializing… I crave the time to my own thoughts.

Everything hits me harder in the Fall. The earthy smells, the taste of rich comfort foods after months of fresh bright flavours, the weather, the early sunsets and the memories.

If Fall was a song it would be Harvest Moon by Neil Young. I can hear it now, we are sitting by the crackling fire in the bush having a few bevvies, the smell of the burning fields mixed with decaying leaves is all around us and Harvest Moon is playing on the boom box… again. I feel safe and despite the chill in the air, warm. I am sad that summer has ended but at the same time I am ready to hibernate with all the memories I made over the past year. In the moonlight you can feel the end.

I have a playlist for every season and although I love my summer playlist because it makes me want to get up and be active, my favourite is my Fall playlist! It is all the things that I feel in the air during September, October, and November. All the things that Fall is, to me. The other day a friend of mine commented on a song I used for one of my Instastories that she had forgotten about and it got me thinking… I never share music and it is such a huge part of my life! Our family loves music! Ninja and I make sure we do a music segment on our podcast and his other podcast, Our Liner Notes is a musical conversation podcast! My Fall playlist is pretty long! I add new songs every year, the whole family helps! While I can’t share the entirety of my 8 hour playlist 😂 I can share some of my favourites! These songs range from music my parents introduced me to – to music my children have introduced me to! We have songs of the past and the present that make up this list of awesome Fall tunes. They are all completely different but make me feel the same type of way.

Like I’m back in grade 10 and Halloween is over, Christmas seems faaaaar off and the chill is in the air. It’s Fall.

If you would like to listen to my entire playlist you can find me on Spotify at KMaeMaier and this particular playlist is called Fall… Very original 😜. Please drop your suggestions in the comments! We are always on the lookout for new music and I would love to hear what kind of music YOU relate to Fall!

 

Change Blind Melon
Mess is Mine Vance Joy
Dancing on my Own Calum Scott
Jenny Jenkins Mt. Joy
Handyman AWOLNATION
Good Thing Gone Elle King
Long Time Running The Tragically Hip
Seeing Blind Niall Horan with Maren Morris
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered Ella Fitzgerald
Fields of Gold Eva Cassidy
On My Way Rival Sons
I Guess I Just Feel Like John Mayer
Walls Kings of Leon
1933 Frank Turner
Dog Days Are Over Florence + the Machine
In Spite of All the Damage The Be Good Tanyas
Moondance Van Morrison
The Night We Met Lord Huron Phoebe Bridgers
Exile Taylor Swift and Bon Ivor
Time and Time Again Counting Crows
Where Are You Now Mumford & Sons
Fade into You Mazzy Star
Young Folks Peter Bjorn and John
Disorder Joy Division
Whiskey to My Soul Roan Ash
Shoot the Moon Norah Jones
Stay Young, Go Dancing Death Cab for Cutie
Emotional Ashe
My Medicine Angus Maude

When the Party’s Over Billie Eilish

 

Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #300: This is 300? HERE! This week, we get together for our 300th time to discuss: recording quality, Jeopardy, cocktails, Zombie Run, worm scare, costumes, trick or treating, & Christina Applegate.

 

 

Fall is soup season!!!! I love soup! Every time I go to a restaurant and order soup I am always pleasantly surprised! I tend to stick to the basics with soup, chicken noodle and beef barley lol but recently I had a curry cauliflower soup that was to die for! A few years back I had a cream of asparagus soup that I still crave to this day! What I’m trying to say is, I think it’s time to expand my soup vocabulary much to the fear of my children 😂. This one isn’t earth box by any means but it was absolutely delicious! Creamy, Cheesy, full of vegetables, super satisfying, comforting and filling! I felt decadent eating it. It is so rich and delicious! This one is for you MMBesty, tell your dentist I’ve got your back!

 

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Adapted from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

5 tablespoons butter, separated
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag baby potatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup corn
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
2 cups cheese, grated (I used havarti)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the carrots, celery and onion and saute 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds more.

 

Stir in the chopped potatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid, and cook 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Stir in the broccoli and corn and cook 2-3 minutes longer or until veggies are tender and warmed through.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk, whisk until smooth.

 

Cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken; then stir in the heavy cream. Remove from heat and pour the cream mixture into the vegetable soup and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and stir in the shredded cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year I made this amazing Spiced Pumpkin Bread with raisins that the Kids LOVED! I made it again this year with some roasted pumpkin I had in the freezer and it didn’t even last long enough to take any pictures! This a great Fall quick bread that is easy to freeze and tastes delicious!

Pumpkin Spice Bread
Adapted from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamons
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

 

 

 

In a measuring cup stir together the milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In a mixer cream the butter. Then add sugars and mix until creamy.

 

 

 

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mix.

 

 

 

Then add the pumpkin puree to the egg/butter/sugar mix. Combine.

 

 

 

Add the flour mix to the pumpkin mix in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mix in 2 parts.

 

 

 

Fold in the raisins. Pour into prepared loaf pan.

 

Bake for about 1 1/4 hours. (when it’s done, a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean)

 

 

 

 

I spent the majority of this week in bed recuperating from my infusion. I had good company though, Oliver had to get his rabies booster this week so he hung out with me! The Kids gave me lots of cuddles and Ninja took care of everything… Like always and even brought me flowers! I felt so guilty I insisted that he keep them for himself and pretend that I had the energy to go out and buy them for him 😂. I felt the guilt even more when SBean had her 2nd cross-x meet and came in 38th and I wasn’t there to cheer her on. I am thankful for friends that were able to go and send me pictures of my little runner though 💛. The next day she ended up coming home early from school as she was just not feeling her best self (her words). Thankfully she was back to her “bestself” by Friday to go to the library to do a Halloween craft and have storytime! We watched Hocus Pocus 2, enjoyed a bottle of Kismet wine, enjoyed the sunrise (making the best out of my MS symptoms), and went out to Neighbourhood Brewing for a much needed impromptu lunch date! On Saturday night HBear joined her dance group as actors for A Laser Tag Zombie Event at Slackwater Alley! They all had an amazing time! On Sunday we carved pumpkins, roasted seeds, baked classroom spider/bat cupcakes and decorated sugar cookies. Ninja did most of it while I supervised. He didn’t realize how much effort goes into sugar cookies!!!! 😂 He expressed his gratitude for me and his Mom making his favourite cookies throughout the year 💛. We had Doggo cuddles and I went grocery shopping and played my new favourite game, can I keep my shopping bill as close to $100 as possible?! 😂

For Halloween HBear dressed up as a gorgeous jellyfish, I was a Mommy with her head stuck in the clouds, Oliver was a hotdog and SBean was a cute zombie cheerleader! They had a great time at school enjoying all the festivities and then HBear met her friends at our house and they all went out while my Dad, Ninja, and I took SBean around our area. I only made it a few streets before I had to go lay down but I was SO happy to see SO many Kids out and enjoying the night!! They stayed out until 8pm and came home tired but very excited for their giant candy haul! I hope EVERYONE had a very Happy Halloween!